Sport Ireland is set to develop a new “respect the ref” campaign in response to what it has identified as a rising incidence of abuse and disrespect towards officials.

Former Intercounty GAA Referee and GAA referees Administrator for Clare Rory Hickey said he would welcome any initiative that pushes for more respect towards referees.

However, he continued on that he would “be very interested to see how Sport Ireland think they can change people’s culture”.

“I’m one of those retired guys that’s been around the block,” he told Newstalk Breakfast.

“I was 20 years operating as a GAA referee and now the GAA administrator, so I’d be very interested to see how they do it.

“For me myself, if you’re to change culture, that’s a generational thing.

“You need to get down into the schools, get down to primary kids.”

Children's football players walk onto the pitch with the referee. Image: m@t.d.

Mr Hickey said that children’s behaviour could be molded by having past referees act as GAA ambassadors in schools and at other community events.

“It you’re trying to culturally change adults, you’re not going to do that,” he said.

“If a guy is going to matches or a lady’s going to matches for 20 years, screaming at a referee, in any code they’re not going to change.

“So, I’d be very interested to see how it pans out, but I hope they take a different sort of approach.”

'Not far enough'

According to Mr Hickey, while there are many “mythical stories” about referees being bundled into the back of cars by irate fans, he thinks things have “come a long way” over the years.

“But not far enough,” he said.

“For me, Jim Gavin’s introduction and those proposals, they need to transfer to hurling as well.

“It’s a twin with Gaelic football, as in there are two national sports in GAA, but you can still scream at the referee in hurling and get away with it as a manager.

“I think the penny is dropping at the top brass level.”

Main image: Referee Showing a Red Card During a Football Game, Close Up.